Wellstone, Paul (1944–2002)

Paul Wellstone was a professor, progressive activist, and two-term U.S. senator from Minnesota. Prior to being elected to the Senate in 1990, Wellstone was a professor of political science at Carleton College and a liberal activist. As a senator, Wellstone was often referred to as the “conscience of the Senate” or a leading spokesperson for the “Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.” He served in the Senate from 1991 until his death in a plane crash on October 25, 2002. His wife Sheila, daughter Marcia, three campaign aides—Tom Lapic, Will McLaughlin, and Mary McEvoy—and two pilots were also killed. There were no survivors of the crash. Paul and Sheila Wellstone are survived by their sons, Mark and David.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Wellstone became involved ...